My Special Pizza

Pizza or flatbread with arugula, salami, cheese
Arx0nt / Getty Images
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

I love making homemade pizza. There's nothing better than pulling a hot pizza out of the oven and cutting into it. The cheese oozes out, the crust is crisp and shatters when you bite into it, and the flavor of the sauce is perfect.

Serve this pizza with a glass of icy cold beer and some crudites with a ranch salad dressing dip. 

Ingredients

  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 Boboli pizza crusts (or 2 cans pizza dough)
  • 1 pkg. pepperoni
  • Optional: peppers (green)
  • Optional: canned mushrooms (drained)
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

  3. Cook the onion in the olive oil until tender in a large skillet over medium heat.

  4. Add the tomato sauce, paste, mustard, seasonings and water. Cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until thickened and blended, about 10 minutes.

  5. If you're using the canned pizza dough, unroll it onto cookie sheets and pre-bake according to the package directions until the dough is set. Doing this makes the crust crisper and makes the pizza sturdier. It also makes the crust taste better and gives it a better texture.

  6. Spread the sauce evenly over both of the pizza crusts and sprinkle toppings over all. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese.

  7. Bake the pizzas at 400 F for 15 to 25 minutes or until the pizzas heated through, the crust is crisp and golden brown, and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Recipe Variations

  • You can make this pizza sauce mild or hot, depending on your tastes. If you like really spicy flavors, add some chopped jalapeno peppers or serrano peppers, some really well-drained canned green chiles, or some cayenne pepper or chili powder. Some pickled jalapeno peppers would be great, as would chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. If, however, you want a milder pizza, use the spices that I use in this recipe.
  • You can, of course, add your own favorite toppings to this wonderful sauce. Everything from Canadian bacon and pineapple, to mushrooms and bell peppers, to cooked sausage and lots of onion, are delicious with this sauce. (If you want to add mushrooms, use drained canned ones; otherwise saute the mushrooms in the olive oil along with the onion before you use it.) You can also change up the cheese. Use provolone, or Havarti, or Swiss, or cheddar. It's all up to you!
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
193 Calories
9g Fat
21g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 193
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 165mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Protein 9g
Calcium 147mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)